Six months in a chateau

It was pure chance that led us to this place, both geographic and internal. Pure unadulterated chance, and a healthy portion of what can only be described as incredibly good luck. France had been on our horizon for over six months, an ever expanding focal point whose direction we soon realised was the only one we wanted to head in. And so we gamely steered ourselves towards it, confident in our chosen next step.

Our original plan was to rent a house for six months. We researched specific areas, and earmarked the rolling green hills of the Midi-Pyrénées, somewhere between the pink city of Toulouse, and the famed wine capital of Bordeaux. We browsed online listings for rental cottages from our homestay in Bali, longing to once again enjoy the changing seasons of Europe, and life lived at a more relaxed pace.

It was only when returning home to England to visit family, mere weeks before our intended arrival in France, that the idea of house sitting first crossed our minds. Surprised that we hadn’t thought of it sooner, we quickly registered with two agencies, Trusted Housesitters and Mind My House, and devoured the advice given in an invaluable eBook we purchased from fellow bloggers and experienced house sitters, Hecktic Travels.

There was an abundance of short-term places available across France, but we were looking for a stay of six months, and as we quickly realised, it was rather late in the day to find such a thing. With little left available to us, we searched for houses suitable in our chosen area, and started submitting applications to anything loosely fitting the bill. It was with one such listing, no photographs included, that everything changed.

Though the description was vague, the location was perfect, and so too was the time frame; a delicious six months from November to April. Despite not knowing exactly what we were applying for, something about the advertisement just sounded right. There was even a cat to look after, which anyone who knows me will tell you was reason enough for me to apply.

We felt a rush of excitement when we made it past the first stage of the application process, and were told we had been shortlisted for consideration. Things got even more promising when we were invited for an interview via Skype with the owner’s personal assistant. It was at this stage that we were emailed a link to the house we could possibly be looking after for the next six months, though the word house barely does it justice.

After successfully passing the initial Skype test, we were put through to the final round: a Skype call with the owner herself. We were as giddy as school children, and so nervous that we both dressed up for the occasion, Lee’s unkempt locks neatly tied back, and my face baring make-up for the first time in months.

But our nerves were soon assuaged, and we found ourselves chatting freely with the owner, Lizzie, as though old friends; our conversation peppered with laughter and discoveries of numerous shared interests. Things went so well in fact, that at the end of the call, and much to our delight, we were offered the house sit on the spot.

An artist’s haven, the chateau holds seasonal workshops, where guests can participate in a wide variety of arts and crafts. I can’t imagine a more idyllic setting, and our arrival here has triggered a wave of creativity for me, one I hope to ride for the long winter months ahead. Wandering though the many rooms, past walls decorated with vintage gowns and arrangements of luggage from the early 1900’s, the travelling artist in me is filled with such an overwhelming sense of joy, I can hardly wait to get back to our newly appointed office, draw out my pencils, and start sketching the stunning views that sit just beyond our window.

We’ve been living here for two weeks now, and our awe has not yet dissipated. I doubt it ever will. We feel honoured to have been entrusted with such a magnificent home, and can’t wait to see what these precious six months have in store for us. Though this is not our home forever, it is our home for now, a gift of chance that elegantly holds the key to all that we have been longing for in recent months.

It’s a place where we can slow down, and focus on creative pursuits. A place where we can rekindle that which was lost out on the open road. I can’t help thinking that maybe it wasn’t luck that brought us here after all, but more a case of fate leading us right to where we needed to be.

It has been so wonderful waking up here every morning, we actually feel very at home here, and have been enjoying getting out in the beautiful countryside, and simple things like cooking and doing laundry. It’s amazing how much I missed doing these things while we were on the road!

Wow, what an incredible place! Goes to show that anything is possible … who would have guessed that one can live in such a beautiful place for 6 months without being wealthy?! When we get tired of our boat and need a change for a while, we’ll definitely have to look into house sitting. Enjoy your stay!

That house is gorgeous, as is the view! I’m so glad this experience has worked out for you. I always thought house sitting would be much more difficult to set up, and maybe it is, but you certainly lucked into something beautiful!

We certainly did! The application process is actually a lot easier then you would expect, and the eBook I mentioned above helped us immensely. The only thing we struggled with was the fact that we left it so late to start looking, so if you ever decide to give it a go, I would recommend starting your search several months in advance.

Living in Goa was only ever intended to be for six months, and our plan has always been to continue to travel the world widely, and slowly. The beautiful stray cats we looked after while we were there were taken in by our landlord when we left.

Holy holy holy cow. That is AWESOME!! What a stunning place. I lucked out once too on a rental property in a similar situation…no photo, barely a description on the ad…still no idea why we bothered calling, but we ended up living in a restored banquet hall for sailors from the 1940s, waterfront, dance floor, over 3000 sq ft (a master suite bigger than our previous apartment itself), chandeliers and a 30ft long dining table. It was ridiculous…I think I still have footage somewhere of me rollerblading and riding my bike inside. Sometimes it’s worth it to take a little chance 🙂

Wow, what a great story – I’d love to see that video footage! It definitely proves that it’s worth taking a chance sometimes. I also think the universe has a funny knack of providing for us when we are at our most open, and ready to accept whatever comes our way.

I know, it’s crazy, huh?! I seriously do feel like we are living on a film set. In fact, a nearby village is currently being used by Steven Spielberg as the setting for his latest movie, titled “The Hundred-Foot Journey”, which he is producing alongside Oprah Winfrey!

Yes, this is an incredible place, and I can totally see how it has stoked your creativity. I feel the same just from looking at the photos.
Once, I was supposed to stay at a hostel in Venice which ended up being overbooked… so we got moved to another “hostel”, run by the owners’ friends or something. It was a small palace. We had our own room with a chandelier and our windows looked right over the winding canals. Couldn’t believe our luck.

This is a gorgeous house and I love your photos, they are so atmospheric. It must be like living in a National Trust property! It will be wonderful to see how your lives and creativity are shaped by your new environment.

Janey, how lovely to hear from you! I hope you are well… are you back in Colomb again this year? And that’s a very good question about the cleaning. So far we’ve both really enjoyed keeping the place spotless – it’s amazing how we’ve missed doing this sort of thing over the past year – so that hasn’t been too much of a problem yet… we’ll see what happens over the next six months!

Hi Hannah, oh my god!!! You must have greatly pleased the travel gods to give such a magnificent home when you can create beautiful works and memories in six months. I’m happy for you.
P.s. Don”t be surprise if I drop by unannounced 🙂

It really is an artist’s haven, and I can quite see why so many people clamour to attend the wonderful creative courses on offer during the summer here. It’s lovely the hear the photos inspire you to paint – there are so many views here I am longing to capture myself. And keeping the place clean is a surprising pleasure – after a year away from domesticity out on the road, the simplest of tasks have become a source of relaxation, and it’s such a joy to see everything looking spotless!

This place is amazing!! I had never really considered house sitting as a travel options, but now I can’t stop looking. I mean who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to stay in a 400 year old homestead for 3 weeks, or watch a B&B in Greece while its owners are away for a month?! Enjoy- it looks super relazing, and so beautiful with the changing fall colours!

I had never really considered house sitting before either, but now that we are doing it, I can’t believe we waited so long. We are already thinking about what to do when our six months here are up (besides cry!), and we will definitely be hoping to secure another home to look after!

I’m so glad to hear that, Lance. Our experience with house sitting so far so been nothing but positive. The original application process was made easily navigable via the eBook I mentioned above, and both of the sites we registered with were great. We will definitely be looking to house sit again next year (when they drag us kicking and screaming from this one!).

I think it’s pretty safe to say you’re livin’ the dream, well my dream anyways! We’re off to France soon as well and I can only dream that we will find something as amazing as you have at the end of our two month rental ends. Fingers crossed!
I can’t wait to read about all your french adventures!

You should definitely look at the house sitting opportunities available – you can find placements for short and long stays, and I can definitely recommend both of the agencies we registered with. If you happen to pass by Auty let me know!

I have had the privilege and pleasure to have stayed at the chateau a couple of times over the last few years – what a joy to be able to live there for 6 months. It is a truly beautiful setting and Lizzie has just made it even more special.
I loved looking through your photos – you have captured it so well in just those few shots.
I look forward to seeing the changing scenery over the next few months.
Enjoy your stay!!

Hello Hazel, it’s lovely to hear from one of Lizzie’s guests – thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. She has indeed done a superb job of making what is an already magical setting all the more special with her impeccable eye for detail. As a creative, I am so inspired by both the chateau, and Lizzie herself, and truly feel so blessed to have been given this wonderful opportunity. I know it is a time in our lives I will treasure forever.

I have had the thought of house sitting in the back of my mind for our 9 months in Europe next year – a month here, a month there. I think you have now convinced me that YES, I want to look into that option more closely. What an amazing place you found!

You should definitely look into house sitting! I truly can’t speak more highly of our experience so far, and it has definitely opened our eyes to a whole new way of travelling. I would recommend getting the eBook I mentioned above, which really helped us shape our applications, and both of the agencies we registered with were great. I hope you manage to find somewhere wonderful!

What a stunning home; congratulations on your house-sitting job! We’ve been looking into house-sitting but it really is a game of chance and luck as well, what with so many people trying to find a place. Would love to hear more about your experience with getting a place!

Thanks Charlie – we really did hit the jackpot with this place, especially as we had no idea what we were originally applying for! I will definitely write more about our experiences, but one tip would be to start your search as early as possible, especially if you are looking for a longer term house-sit. Also, don’t be afraid to apply for places with minimal descriptions and no photos – that’s what happened to us with this place, and as you can see, it worked out pretty well!

This is overwhelmingly beautiful!! By now you must be out of the Chateau, although it would be hard to beat a home like this, the beauty of traveling is that every place holds its magic – from what I read I assume this is the magic you both needed.

We were actually fortunate enough to be asked to stay on a little longer by the owner, so we are still here! We start our next house-sit in Spain in a couple of weeks though, and it will be hard to say goodbye to the incredible place. As much as we will miss it though, the lure of new adventures certainly helps to soften the blow…

Hello there, I just found your site and absolutely love your writing style!
I enjoyed this post – the chateau is beautiful and you even had the honour of looking after a Siamese cat at that! How perfect.

I’m Hannah, a wandering wordsmith, designer and truth seeker in my mid-thirties. I paid off my debt, sold everything I owned, and can now be found travelling the world indefinitely as I pursue a life less ordinary. This blog is about discovery; discovering yourself, the world, and your place within it. It’s a continuous journey…